Art of making shoes



Oct. 24, 1933. H. KAHLMEYER ART OF MAKING SHOES Filed Aug. 3, 1951 K ZZ Patented Oct. 24, 1933 1,931,612 PATENT OFFICE UNITED STATES ART OF MAKINGSHOES Henry Kahlmeyer, Medford, Mam, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 3, 1931. Serial No. 554,775

' 18 Claims. (01. 36-55) the assembled parts to cause the ends of the nap This invention relates to the art of making shoes and particularly to fabrics used for lining the uppers of shoes, to methods of making such fabrics, to methodsof assembling upper materials inbinding such fabrics, and to shoe uppers in which such fabrics are incorporated. The invention, by way of exempliflcation, is disclosed as embodied in a fabric for use as doubler material, in shoe uppers in which such material is incorporated,

1 and as a method of preparing and using such doubler material, it being understood that the term doubler refers to a layer of fabric used in shoe uppers, particularly at the vamp portions, between the inner layer or lining proper and the inner face of the. outer layer of the upper, which is usually leather.

Doubler material usually consists of a napped fabric or drill, a piece of such material being placed between the lining and the leather of the upper with the napped surface .next to the leather, for the purpose of giving the upper material the soft, full, plump feeling which it is often desired to impart to a shoe upper.

In order that different parts of the shoe upper may be readily handled as a unit, it has been customary for an operator, in assembling parts of the upper, to dab' the napped surface of the doubler with a brush carrying paste or cement and then to apply the doubler to the upper leather and rub it down lightly. This procedure is not only time consuming, messy, and wasteful of cement, but theadhesion between the. upper and doubler thus obtained is not uniform, the adhesion being too great in some places and too small or lacking 35 in others, so that the upper after the paste'sets is sometimes hard in spots and fails to adhere to the doubler in other places, with the result that the purpose of using the doubler material is largely defeated.

Objects of this invention are to enable lining and doubler materials to be secured to the upper leather in a smooth and uniform manner so that all parts of the upper to which the doubler is applied will have the desired soft, full, plump feel, and to provide for the application of the doubler or lining in a quick, neat and economical manner.

With these objects in view, one aspect of the invention comprises a napped fabric having on the fibers of the nap minute discrete particles of adhesive. Preferably the adhesive is thermoplas tic at temperature not injurious to leather and above atmospheric temperatures, for example be- .tween 120 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit, and preferably also the outer end portions only of the fibers of the nap carry the adhesive.

In another aspect the invention consists in providing on the nap fibers of a. napped fabric fine particles of dry adhesive, applying the fabric to the back surface of the upper material (to the 60 flesh face of a leather upper), and then treating to adhere to the upper material. When the adhesive is thermoplastic, the nap maybe caused to adhere to the upper material by the application of heat, and the heat may be applied to the are placed in contact or to the cementon the nap before it is applied to the upper material. Preferably the napped fabric is applied to the upper and then the fabric is subjected to light pressure by a plate or iron heated to a' degree which will not be injurious to the fabric or the upper material but which will melt or soften the adhesive.

1 In still another aspect the invention consists in a shoe upper comprising a layer of upper material, for example leather, and an inner layer of napped fabric, the ends of the nap being secured to the inner surface of the upper material by cement, the cement being preferably thermoplastic. The invention also includes a multi-ply upper comprisingan outer layer of, for example, leather, an inner fabric lining, and an intermediate layer of napped fabric, the ends of the nap fibers being secured by cement to the inner surface of the outer layer.

, In another aspect the invention consists in a method of assembling multi-ply shoe uppers which consists in interposing between the upper leather or other upper material and the lining of a shoe upper a napped fabric having discrete particles of thermoplastic material adhering to the end portions of its nap fibers with the napped surface inengagement with the inner face of the upper material, and then subjecting the assembled parts to heat and pressure to cause the ends of the nap fibers to adhere to the upper material. If desired, napped material may be employed also as the lining, its nap fibers being secured to the inner face of the doubler. ric of this invention is utilized also for a lining or inner layer as well as for the intermediate layer or doubler, the above method will result in the lining being secured to and supported by the doubler so that wrinkling of the lining or separation of the lining from the other upper materials is prevented.

These and other aspects of the invention will appear more fully from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

4 Fig. 1 is a greatly enlarged plan view showing the outer portions of the fibers of the nap of the fabric and the particles of adhesive carried thereby;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, somewhat diagrammatic, cross-sectional view of the fabric shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a similar enlarged view'of an upper upper material or to the nappedfabric afterthey When the novel fabhaving the fabric of Figs. 1 and 2 incorporated therein between the upper leather and the lining, the lining being in this instance also composed of the novel fabric of this invention.

A napped shoe lining or doubler fabric having on the outer or free portions of its nap fibers separate or discrete particles of adhesive is shown in the drawing, Fig. 1 of which is a greatly enlarged plan view of the napped face of the fabric. The fibers of the nap are indicated by the numeral 10 and some of the difierent forms that the discrete particles of adhesive assume under different conditions are indicated at 12, 14, 16 and 18. At 12 a particle or globule of the adhesive is carried at the end of a fiber; at 14 several globules are carried by an intermediate portion of a fiber; at 16 several globules or droplets have coalesced to form a somewhat extended coating on an intermediate portion of a fiber; and where the fibers touch or cross in contact, or substantially in contact, with each other, the droplets of adhesive may aggregate into larger masses as shown at 18 in Fig. 1 which, however, are still very small. It will also be apparent that the coating on the fibers is not" only discontinuous but that the particles of adhesive are separated from each other by relatively wide spaces. From Fig. 2, in which the woven body of the fabric is represented at 20, it will be seen that the discrete particles of adhesive are located on the outer or free portions of the fibers so that a relatively large part of the nap in the direction of the thickness of the fabric has no adhesive on it.

In order to avoid the time-consuming and wasteful operations of applying adhesive to each individual piece of doubler material in a shoe factory after it has been cut but prior to its application to the shoe upper or vamp, the adhesive is applied to the nap of the fabric while the'fabric is still in the web, preferably by spraying or otherwise'depositing droplets of a suitable emulsion or solution of adhesive material upon the nap of the fabric. This may be done as the fabric emerges from the napping machine or as a separate operation on the already napped fabric. Preferably the already napped fabric is passed at a high rate of speed past suitable nozzles through which an adhesive solution is blown, the outer portions of the nap fibersoi the fabric catching the mist thus produced and holding the droplets till the solvent or medium evaporates. Thus a fabric is produced having on the outer or free pdrtions of its nap fibers minute discrete particles of solid adhesive.

While various adhesives may be employed for the purpose, whether thermoplastic or otherwise, it has been found that very satisfactory results are obtained by the use or paracumaron resin as the adhesive. This is a clear, light colored, synthetic resin, well known and readily available in grades having melting points from 120 degrees to 150 degreesFahrenheit.

As a solvent for this resin, carbon tetrachloride has been found satisfactory, a solution suitable for spraying purposes being readily made there with. This resin may also be obtained in the form of a water emulsion made by grinding the gum with water in a so-called colloid mill, to which, if desired, an emulsifying agent. may be added, for example soap. This emulsion may be sprayed in the same manner as the solution and also serves well for obtaining a deposit of gum upon the end portions of the nap fibers in the form of fine particles.

Satisfactory results have been obtained by nesneia spraying the fabric with a solution of gutta sialr in benzol or naphtha, and a solution or water emulsion of a resin such as colophony has been successfully employed for spraying the fabric.

Since the particles of on the nap are transparent and not easily visible, it is hard to tell whether or not the gum has been properly applied to the fabric in the web. Accordingly it is desirable to add to the solution or emulsion a small amount of dye so that the fabric where the gum. has been properly applied will have a distinctive tint or color. This avoids the accident of sending to a shoe manufacturer fabric some parts of which have not been properly treated.

In the shoe factory the doubler material prepared in accordance with the present invention, as above described, is died out in the usual manner in the proper sizes and shapes to be incorporated in shoe uppers.

This may readily be done by the use of usual clicking dies and maces since the relatively small amount of dry win; on the fibers of the fabric in no way interferes with this operation. The operator, in assembling the parts of an upper, simply applies a piece of doubler material 20 (Fig. 2) to the inner face of the vamp 22 of a shoe upper or other appropriate shoe part, with the napped surface of the doubler in contact with the inner face of the vamp, and applies heat to the assembled parts. This may be done by pressing the doubler lightly upon the vamp. by a hot iron. in the case of a multi ply shoe upper, the doubler material 20 will he placed by the operator between the lining 2d and the upper 22 with its napped surface, of course, in contact with the flesh side of the upper leather, and then heat will be applied to the lining or to the upper leather to cause the gum 12,14, is, is on the outer or free portions of the nap fibers 1d of the fabric to adhere to the leather 22. if the novel fabric oi this invention is employed mso for the lining layer 03? the upper, as illustrated diagrammaticals ly in Fig. 3, it will be caused to adhere to the doubler by the same application of heat that effects attachment of the doubler to the outer layer of the upper. 01 course, the steps of pressing the upper materials together and applying heat may be performed by hand or by a suitable machine.

in a shoe upper thus prepared, the end or outer portions only of the nap fibers are secured to the inner face of the upper leather so that the fabric of the doubler is tethered by the nap to the leather and is capable of a slight movement relatively to the upper leather. Since, therefore, there is no rigid connection between the upper leather and the doubler, the doubler imparts to the upper the desired sort, full, plump feel. doubler material serves to talre some of the pulling-over and lasting strain to which the upper materials are subjected and also serves td? prevent wrinkles from appearing in the upper when lasted.

Under some conditions use of the fabric of this invention is advantageous in shoes having outer layers or uppers of material other than leather such as various fabrics, since substance and softness are thus imparted to the upper, which qualities are further enhanced by employing this material for the lining as well as for the doubler.

'llhis fabric, when used as a lining with or without a doubler, stays in place when the last is withdrawn and wrinkling of the upper during lasting is avoided.

Having thus described my invention, what i Hill iii)

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A woven fabric the individual fibers of which carry minute discrete particles of dry adhesive adhering thereto, the remainder of the length of the fibers being uncoated.

2. A woven fabric having upon one face closely spaced, minute, discrete particles of drythermoplastic adhesive, said adhesive being adapted by the application of heat to cause the fabric to adhere at closely spaced but isolated points, where the particles are located, to another layer of sheet material.

3. A fabric having a napped surface and having discrete particles of adhesive adhering to the end portion only of the fibers of the nap, the particles not forming integuments for more than limited portions-of the nap fibers.

4. A woven fabric having a napped surface and having spaced discrete particles of thermoplastic adhesive adhering to the portions only of the nap which are distant from the woven part of the fabric.

5. A woven fabric having a napped surface and having spaced discreteparticles of adhesive adhering to those portions only of the nap which are spaced from the body of the fabric and uniformly distributed over the nap.

6. A woven fabric'having a napped surface and spaced discrete particles of paracumaron resin adhering to the portions only of the nap fibers which are most distant from the fabric.

7. That improvement in methods of preparing napped fabrics for use in shoe uppers which consists in projecting adhesive in the form of a tenuous spray of fine particles upon the fabric, catching the particles on the outer portions only of the nap of the fabric and holding them solely on said portions of the nap.

8. That improvement in methods of preparing napped fabrics for adhesive attachment to other layers of sheet material which consists in spraying a solution of an adhesive directly upon the napped surface of the fabric and moving the fabric and spraying means relatively to each other at such a rate and applying the spray under such consistency as to cause the adhesive to be caught by the outer portions of the nap fibers so that the solution dries upon the outer portions only of the nap fibers thereby forming spaced discrete particles of adhesive, the remaining portion of the nap fibers being free from adhesive.

9. That improvement in methods of preparing napped fabrics for attachment to other layers of material which consists in spraying a medium containing an adhesive upon the napped face of the fabric while moving the fabric relatively to the spraying means at a high rate of speed and delivering the spray in such quantity and under such consistency that spaced discrete particles of said medium are deposited upon portions only of the nap fibers, the remaining portions of said nap fibers being devoid of said medium, and drying the medium toform particles of adhesive on the nap fibers.

10. A shoe upper member comprising an outer layer and an inner layer, the inner layer consisting of a woven napped fabric the outer portions only of the nap fibers of which are secured to the outer layer.

11. As an article of manufacture, a shoe upper comprising a leather vamp and a lining, the lining consisting of a woven napped fabric the end portions of some of the fibers of the nap of which are secured to the vamp by minute dmcrete particles of thermoplastic adhesive, some of the fibers being free from adhesive and all of the fibers being free from adhesive for portions of their length to permit relative movement between the leather and the woven body portion of the fabric.

12. A shoe upper comprising a leather vamp, a doubler and a lining. the doubler comprising a woven napped fabric located between the upper and the lining with its napped face toward the inner face of the leather vamp, the end portions only of the nap being secured to the vamp so as to permit relative play between the fabric and the vamp.

13. A shoe upper comprising a leather vamp,.a doubler and a lining, the doubler comprising a woven napped fabric located between the upper and the lining with its napped face toward the inner face of the leather vamp, the end portions only of-the nap being secured at closely spaced but isolated points to the vamp by a thermoplastic adhesive.

14. A shoe upper comprising a leather vamp,

a doubler anda lin the doubler comprising a woven napped fabric located between the upper and the lining with its napped face toward the inner face of the leather vamp, the outer portions only of the nap being secured to the vamp by minute discrete particles of thermoplastic adhesive.

15. A shoe upper comprising a vamp, a doubler, and a lining, the doubler and lining each comprising a napped fabric the outer portions only of the nap of each napped. layer being secured to an outer layer by minute discrete particles of thermoplastic adhesive.

16. That improvement inmethods of preparing shoe uppers prior to their being assembled upon a last which consists in applying to the inner face of a shoe upper a napped fabric member portions only of the nap fibers of which carry minute discrete particles of thermoplastic adhesive, heating the adhesive to cause said portions of the nap fibers to stick to said upper member, the fabric being thereby tethered to the upper member at closely spaced but isolated points and capable of limited movement relatively thereto,

and thereafter assembling the prepared upper 1 upon a last.

17. That improvement in methods of preparing shoe uppers prior to their being assembled upon a last which consists in applying to the in-' ner surface of a shoe upper member a woven napped fabric member portions only of the nap fibers of which carry minute discrete particles of thermoplastic adhesive, applying heat to the fabric member to cause portions of the nap fibers where the adhesive is located to stick to said upper member, the nap of the fabric being thus anchored to the upper member at closely spaced but isolated points, the remaining portions of the nap fibers being free of adhesive to allow limited relative movement between the upper member and the fabric member, and thereafter assembling the prepared upper upon a last.

18. A woven fabric having a napped surface and having thermoplastic adhesive adhering td those portions only of the nap which are spaced 115 

